Lepanto 1571: The Madonna's Victory

The battle of Lepanto was the last major battle between fleets of oar—powered war ships, and author Nic Fields examines this battle's status as a truly decisive battle in history.

The battle of Lepanto has long been considered one of the decisive naval battles of history. Yet, the savage fighting on Sunday, 7 October 1571 left the strategic map unchanged and the defeated Ottoman Turks were able to replace their losses and launch a new fleet the following year. Nic Fields reexamines the battl...